1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for designing and developing a vehicular damper and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for efficiently and accurately simulating the operation of a vehicular damper in a manner which obviates the need for tangibly or physically creating the damper while efficiently allowing various different damper designs or configurations to be accurately evaluated and modified.
2. Background of the Invention
A vehicular damper, such as a clutch or a torque converter, is typically coupled to a rotating member, such as a crankshaft, and to a transmission assembly. More particularly, the vehicular damper is adapted to selectively transfer the torque from the crankshaft to the coupled assembly in a manner which is effective to desirably reduce the amount of vibration, and noise, (e.g., hereinafter sometimes referred to as “VN”) which otherwise would be produced within the vehicle by such a transfer.
Particularly, a vehicular damper is typically designed or adapted to provide certain torque transmission or frequency response characteristics which are effective to provide the desired amount and type of dampening necessary to allow the foregoing transfer to desirably occur without substantial noise or vibration. Typically, various damper prototypes are physically or tangibly constructed and tested in order to ascertain the respective performance of these prototypes, thereby allowing a designer to evaluate certain damper designs and to gain further knowledge which aids in the creation of yet other damper prototypes and designs. The design process is further complicated by the use of many diverse types of engines, transmissions and other components which generally require unique types of dampers to achieve the foregoing desired benefits (e.g., each unique combination of these components may require a unique damper design).
Traditionally, each prototype is physically or tangibly created and tested by operatively placing the prototype within a vehicle and measuring the amount of noise and/or vibration which is produced during the previously delineated torque transfer. After such measurements are made, the data is evaluated and modifications are again made to the prototype and/or a new prototype is created and tested in the foregoing manner. This process continues until an acceptable damper design (i.e., one having a desired frequency response characteristic) is developed which substantially minimizes or reduces the amount of noise and vibration which is produced due to the torque transfer.
While the foregoing design process does allow for the creation of a desirable damper prototype, it is costly and is significantly time consuming due to the need to sequentially, individually, and physically construct and test each of the created damper prototypes.
There is therefore a need for a method and an apparatus for developing a vehicular damper in a manner which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior vehicular damper design and development strategies, techniques, and methodologies.